Chapter 13- Live Bait
Brentle summoned Lydia to a second-floor, spacious testing laboratory that afternoon. He had a new set of braces for her to try out. Unlike the crisscrossing spider-web frame of her current braces, these new ones were open and used less pieces in the overall design. Lydia examined the white braces as she slipped them on. “It’s like they’re not even on me. Weird.”
The technician smiled and clapped the tips of his fingers. “Yes, yes. It’s of my own design. A lighter weight, but it should retain the same toughness and increase your bone resistance a little more than the last ones.” He ordered two other technicians to bring over a punching bag for Lydia, and she hit it several times, knocking it high into the air. Outside, Barrett put out her cigarette and entered, checking Lydia’s hands and nodding in approval.
“Good work, Scott,” she said. “With any luck, one day we’ll build some that can handle any stress on her bones.”
“Please remember to be careful with them,” Brentle said. “They can still be damaged, and these took a while to build.”
“I will,” Lydia said. She jabbed the air, the lighter weight an odd, yet freeing experience. “So what do you call them?”
“Call them?” He scratched his head, a few stray hairs falling out. “Oh, right. Uh, I completely forgot to name them. Hmm, let’s see.” He drummed his fingers against his lips, muttering to himself.
“That’s not like you,” Barrett said, smirking.
“Been busy. Other things on my mind. Oh!” Snapping his fingers, he pointed at Lydia. “The Lunar Arms and Legs! Yes? For the lighter feel?”
“Yes, I get it,” Lydia said. She thanked him and left Barrett and Brentle to discuss another invention. Outside, she bumped into Harper, who was on the phone and reading over a report. The vein in his temple throbbed and his face was beet red.
“You tell that idiot that he set us back by a week!” His teeth crunched hard to the breaking point. “Does he think the money for that equipment is going to fall out of the sky? And of course I’ll be the one cleaning it all up. Now what about the tank?”
The tank? Harper was wrapped up in his conversation and hadn’t noticed Lydia, who had stopped to listen. Is that what we’re going to be using to transport Heather? she wondered. Didn’t think they were that worried about another attack.
“Uh-huh, yeah,” Harper said. “Good-bye.” He jammed his phone into his forehead, digging it deep into the skin, and sighed. “Tell me it was an inch off one more time. I’ll jam that ruler down your throat and give you an actual spine, you—” Then he saw Lydia. “Yes, Ms. Penner?”
“Oh, sorry,” she said. “Overheard you’re building a tank?”
“Not that kind. A water tank,” he said, flipping through the report in his folder.
“For Nina?” She tried to peer at the folder. “Is that her file?”
“Yes,” he said and raised his gaze. “Care to see it?”
She was taken aback. “I thought you told me it was for her eyes only.”
“She gave you permission to see it,” he said, flipping the folder to her.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t bother to ask. She told me during one of our meetings, and it’s her decision. Now do you want to look at it or not?”
She took the folder and perused the various pages within. Many were technical documents, with blueprints for modifications to her helmet, a tank of water of some sort for sleeping, and other equipment. “What’s all this for?” Lydia asked, turning a page.
“For Nina to live at home,” he said. “She can’t very well stay in the ocean—or here—for the rest of her life. We’re building these things for her to live with her family.” He pointed out the helmet. “Her current one is crude at best. Prone to spilling, no way of hearing or speaking without risking the water dumping out, and it doesn’t regulate the content of the water either. And she can’t be expected to wear that helmet all the time. As for sleeping,” he said, and indicated the tank and explained examples for the other planned machines’ uses, too.
“So all this is for when she goes home?” Lydia asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Believe it or not, I’m not the bad guy here. I’m concerned for her safety, which is why we’re working hard to build this.”
Lydia hadn’t expected that and felt embarrassed for lashing out at him. “Oh. Um, I see. That’s good. Thank you.” Nina deserved this much help for a normal life, after being in the Cave for years.
“Yes, it is,” he said. She handed the folder back, and he tucked it under his arm. “With any luck, we’ll be done within a year.”
A year? That wasn’t so bad. Then again, when Lydia thought about how she hadn’t even been here a year and how much had happened, and how long it felt since she was last home, she could see why Nina was upset. A year without her brother was a long time. Sure, he could visit, but it wasn’t the same.
One question bugged her though. “If it’ll only take a year, how come this stuff wasn’t built before? I mean, Nina and Cooper have been here for several years.”
“Because we’re not focused only on them,” Harper said. “Many BEPs come through here, all seeking a cure or a way to cope with their ability.” He nodded to her braces. “We have to give high priority to those in danger of harming themselves and those we can discharge as soon as possible. Not to mention this equipment—like all the others we build— is expensive. We’re giving it to the family for free. However, someone still needs to foot the bill, and we have many bills to foot besides this.”
“Okay,” Lydia said. “But why move Cooper out?”
“As I already told you, we cannot house BEPs here forever. I tried to keep him here as long as possible, but our superiors are breathing down our necks for results. And two people here for years is an outlier that they don’t like.” Straightening his tie, he said, “Now then, I must be off before a certain twit costs us more money. Good day.”
Lydia pondered what he’d just told her and couldn’t believe Nina had allowed her to see the file. Was it something I said? It had to be. Maybe Nina was starting to open up to her and realized she meant to help.
She passed the information along to Cooper. It seemed only right. He took the news well, all things considered. “At least she’s getting out, too,” he said. “Thanks. I appreciate your help.”
“Anytime,” she said, stirring a hand in the pool’s water. She wished there was some other solution besides waiting, yet it was an inevitable and unfortunate situation.
“Will you do one more thing for me?” he asked. “Will you watch over her?”
She flicked droplets off her hand and sat down. “Sure thing.” She resolved to do that anyway. Cooper dove deep, and Lydia watched him swim for a while, glad that one problem was solved. The transport tomorrow loomed closer with each hour and resided in the forefront of her mind, occupying the space where Nina and Cooper had been. Her whole body was antsy, ready for the transport to be finished.
Lydia dipped her feet in the pool, freezing her nerves. She yelped when Cooper suddenly grabbed her toes. They both laughed and she felt a little more at ease as she kicked a wave of water into his face.
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